Training Your Dog to Sit Up, Heel & Lie Down

Assuming that your little guy is familiar with the Sit command, he is now ready to move forward to the Lie Down command. This Intermediate Training behavior is simple to implement for most dogs and should be easily integrated into his routine.

First, command your little pal to Sit. Take his favorite treat and move it a bit closer to the ground prior to allowing him to take it. Don’t allow movement from the Sit position. After he has this process learned, move the treat a bit farther away but still keeping it on the ground. Uh Oh! Now, he must lie down in order to reach this little goody. When he does this, simply say, “Lie Down.” Be consistent and eventually you will be able to fade out the treat completely. Patience is a must — he may try to get up but simply keep him in the Sit position until he has mastered the entire technique.

You must communicate to your dog that pulling on his leash is unacceptable. Good manners are a must and lunging and jumping at other people or pets is simply bad behavior. Begin teaching him to walk next to you by making small circles, walking very slowly. Change from walking to the left to walking to the right. Eventually, there will be total slack in the leash. But hey! Once in a while, allow him to smell the roses. Every dog loves to explore and your baby deserves this treat occasionally.

Training your dog to Sit Up can be utilized only after he has learned the Sit command. Simply hold his favorite treat or food over his head, just so he can reach it from a Sitting position. Condition him to take the treat higher and higher so he must reach for it but still remain in the Sitting position.

Once consistency is in place, hold the treat even higher. He will be unable to take it unless he raises his front paws from the ground. When he does this, use the verbal cue, “Sit Up” and reward him in this position. Eventually, he will become conditioned to this cue and you can start to fade out the treat and use your hand only, still saying, “Sit Up”.

Teaching you little pal Intermediate Behaviors is going to be a very rewarding experience, both for you and your dog. Remember, patience is the key and loving and accepting your pet will cause him to want to please you. Enjoy the time you have together.